In my heart of hearts I believe Christmas is for children. Till we have our own we still think of ourselves as kids, but when we are blessed with our very own munchkins the season becomes weighted down with the responsibility of creating the magic we once allowed ourselves to believe in...

Today I suggest we sit down and think up a few ways we can make Christmas the season of joy and wonder that it should be for little hearts and minds. Teeny tiny little rituals and puttery treats we can do for the children in our family that will make the holiday three times as scrumptiously special and leave them in no doubt, that whether or not they believe in Santa, Christmas is a season stuffed full of magical treats...

You know the children in your family best. You know your babbas hearts desire, the rituals that will have their eyes widening with wonder, and the moments they will tuck away in their memory boxes for ever after, but allow me to get you started with a few special puttery ideas of my own. Simply choose your favorites, add a few of your own and schedule them in to your Christmas Countdown...

* Have the children leave Father Christmas a list of the gifts they would like before they go to bed at the beginning of December. Make the decorating of the lists and envelopes an elaborate affair, and then leave them sitting by the fire for a few days so you have the kids guessing when Santa is planning on sending one of his Elves to collect them. When he finally does, leave the teeny tiniest of token gifts as his calling card and have the kids whooping with joy, first thing on the most ordinary of December school days...

* Write a letter from Father Christmas to your children, grand-children, nieces and nephews. Type it on the computer or scrawl it in an elaborate font in coloured ink. Make it as personal as you can, use thick, luxurious paper, add if at all possible a little collection of Christmas stickers, a photograph of Rudolph or a post-able flat gift, tie the whole thing up with ribbon and add a waxed seal before posting in time for the first couple of weeks for Christmas.

* Play Christmas music loudly around the house everyday at breakfast time!

* Ask the children of the family to prepare a tiny post Christmas lunch pantomime or play. Offer them as much help as you can with costumes etc. and spread the news so as much anticipation as possible is generated among the grown-ups. Keep back one or two
gifts with which to reward the "actors" afterwards...

* Have all the children write lists of gratitude to be left out for Santa to exchange for gifts on Christmas Eve...

* If you don't have a proper chimney, seek out a vintage skeleton key, hang it from a long piece of velvet ribbon and label it "front door". Give it to the children to leave out for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve so he can let himself in...

* Search the world for a musical Christmas box or snow-globe and switch it on just after the reading of a Christmas themed book every night at bedtime.

* Make the serving of warm mince pies a December morning breakfast ritual.

* Decorate their bedrooms one day while they are out at school. Swing paper chains across their headboard, change their bedding for
something snowy white, add the cosiest blankets you can find, fix fairy lights around the room and set up the tiniest of trees. When they come home send them upstairs on the smallest of errands and listen out for their joyous reaction...

* Start a family Christmas scrapbook and every year ask each child to decorate a page stuffed full of that seasons parties, pantomimes, services and plays.

* Hold a Christmas movie night every week between now and Christmas. Let them choose from a collection of films, arrange a tray of festive treats, and make the evening meal a festive picnic. Snuggle up the entire family in dressing gowns and quilts and watch something magical by candlelight.